They were just another newly-promoted side last season and despite doing really well for the majority of the campaign, the good work of Watford had gone unnoticed. Leicester City’s fairytale title win took all the headlines but Watford slowly but surely built a solid foundation for themselves in the Premier League. The sacking of Quique Sanchez Flores by the Hornets this summer was a decision that invited a lot of criticism for the owners but the appointment of Walter Mazzarri has already started delivering results.
With their amazing comeback against West Ham from 2-0 down to win the game 4-2 followed by a strong 3-1 win against Manchester United, there is a lot of fuss growing around the Yellow Army. There is a definite sense of optimism growing now around the Vicarage Road. Are Watford the surprise package of the season? Do Walter Mazzarri’s boys have that bit of spark in them?
Excellent squad depth
Watford are endowed with very strong squad depth and have capable players in every department. Just for example, let us take a look at the options at the heart of the defence. The Hornets have as many as six players to choose from at central defence with Prodl, Cathcart, Britos, Kabasele, Kaboul and Mariappa. The same goes for each and every position. Watford looks comfortable in Walter Mazzarri’s favoured 3-5-2 formation now and have a good enough squad to break into top eight at the end of the season if they can keep up the momentum.
Excellent wing-backs
3-5-2 is an extremely balanced and fluid formation but only when you have capable wing-backs who can run tirelessly up and down the flanks to contribute both to attack and defence. Two wing-backs Daryl Janmaat and Jose Holebas have been effective with their overlap runs and crosses. The likes of experienced Zuniga, Kenedy, Djedje, Paredes all provide solid covers for the two first-choice wingbacks. The success and failure of 3-5-2 formation mostly depend on how the two wing-backs fare and Watford have the right players to succeed in this formation.
Watford need to be more potent with the ball
The Hornets play a counter-attacking game and their lack of possession is understandable. However, just 42% possession of the ball and an average passing accuracy of 72% is far from good enough. Even though their game is all about hitting on the counter, their passing must improve. Mazzarri simply cannot afford to allow teams like Manchester city, Liverpool or Arsenal to dominate possession against you even if his tactics come fruitful against the smaller sides.
Watford have already shown that they could be the surprise package of the season but need more consistency. Causing a few upsets once in a blue moon and getting good results on a weekly basis are totally different things. Mazzarri is still adapting to life in the Premier League and results have already started coming their way. Picking up seven points despite playing Southampton, Chelsea, Arsenal, West Ham and Manchester United in his first five games is an impressive start from Mazzarri. If the Italian can build on his solid start at Vicarage Road, Watford could be potential top-six candidates.
